Managing a project is not easy, and even less so is inspiring its members not to abandon the commitment halfway. If that in itself is already difficult, it is worse when the inexperience, the whim and the pride of the manager, CEO or owner come into play. Based on real observations, on real projects and with real managers, this article warns of six 'observation points' that subtly or explicitly undermine people's desire to achieve a proposed goal.
Most of the books we all read tell us what needs to be done for employees to group together on projects and become a 'high performance team'. However, there are not many texts that, based on experiences, stimulate the reader with a short 'case' (witness case) that arouses attention and provokes a reflection that generates some type of change. And we all know that from comparison and polarities you also learn.
That is why, from my experience as a coach and facilitator, I detach myself from my positive vision for a moment and I propose that you carefully read these six points and reflect on the extent to which you 'abide by this letter. that it is not necessary to do ', to then take the corrective actions that they consider necessary. Each of the six points, as well as their consequences, I have personally observed and witnessed the profound damage they generate to the organizational fabric, trust and ties, although it is not always visible in the short term. They are not the only points of observation, but they serve to start the reflection.
6 aspects that undermine the motivation of your team
Do it. And do you know what people will say under your breath?
"What's the point of spending time on this job if you never see it?" "I never end up knowing if what I did to you liked or met your expectations" "I did not have time to explain why I put what I did; I could only comment on it in five minutes while leaving "" next time I know how committed I am to the team "
Do it. And do you know what will happen?
On the one hand, key people will be missing from the project, that is, those who were not contacted in time to be at that meeting because it was all improvised or in a hurry; On the other hand, there will be people who will feel that they are wasting time, that they have nothing to offer and that they are only "attending" the launch of another project destined to drift.
Do it. And do you know what kind of result you will achieve?
In the meeting where the proposals are presented, you will feel in the air that everything presented does not end up aligning with what the Manager wants. A misunderstanding of the scope of the project will begin to emerge. In the eagerness to start taking care of their own silhouette, people will start shooting wildly, verbally injuring others and trying to stay as well as possible.
Do it. And do you know how many kinds of assumptions they will make?
I could count if I wanted, one by one, the different interpretations that each person will make, which will obviously have an important bias towards the area in which each one works. You will see people who will try to ask questions to somehow elucidate what you wanted to achieve when you called them and even why you did it.
Do you know what level of commitment you will achieve?
Very low; it will be a commitment only to themselves. A process of 'spiritual rotation' will begin, where the focus leaves the project and settles in the need to take care of oneself, not to take risks and to do things as close to what the Manager wants.
Do you know what kind of feeling you will be creating on your computer?
Uncertainty. Lack of planning awareness. Risk of 'the next one is me'. Feeling that nothing is as strategic or important as it seems.
Was it reflected in any of them? Don't worry, it can all happen to us. But it would be nice if you consider doing something about it.
Below are the different 'antidotes' to these six 'infections' that occur or recur without distinction, in SMEs or multinationals.
5 points that will help you regain the motivation of your team
Beware of the subtle threat that underlies every ineffective intervention you make, as you could invisibly be paving a highway into apathy, bewilderment, and mistrust of your people. Why do I say this? Because if you made some of the unintended misconceptions I presented above, things might not be working. You understand me, the results are good, so no one is interested in trying a little harder, or the results are not so good but nobody seems to mind going the extra mile, except you.
But OK, suppose like any mortal within an organization, rushed by the times of others, he made one or more of the six errors mentioned. Now, the question that should be asked is how do I reverse the situation, since the impression by my actions (from neutral to bad) has already been caused and my unconscious whispers to me that I could have done it / said it better - or at least different
In summary, start by remembering these points: 1. Challenge your beliefs; 2. Become aware. 3. Do not repeat an ineffective intervention twice in a row. 4. Create opportunities. 5. Learn a methodology for project management.
Let's see them:
Does it ring a bell? Do not tell me. But if this is the story being told about yourself, let me tell you that you can still change most of the things you think for the better, or reduce the negative consequence of those thoughts to much lower levels. Do not tell me that as this formula has worked for you so far, you will continue to apply it; Recognize that until now you have not taken the time to reflect and that it has always been easier to release toxic truths than to learn how to get high quality feedback.
Do it. And do you know what you will achieve? You will begin to create a climate in which everyone knows they can be wrong, while knowing that this is a necessary and intermediate step in creating a more mature organization. And he is also saying, implicitly, something like this: "If you want to change something in your workplace, start with yourself."
Anyone has a bad day. Two too. Three, followed and the same person, NO. If it happens it is because it has already become a habit. Awareness in this case involves leaving yourself, seeing yourself from the outside, trying to observe, feel and hear what others felt when you behaved as you did.
Do it. And do you know what you will achieve? It will automatically make people try to do the same, seeking to understand the reasons that led them to do what they did. Knows? Most people admire it - in fact someone could be modeling it silently - and each for their own reasons, but in silence the vast majority long for and want you to just have the tact to say things differently.
Did you do it again? Hmmm, read on anyway. Even more so now. People will already wonder if that is his style and if there may be something that makes him change. Or if so with all or only with some. Or what they can do to please him. Or they decree "apathetic spiritual rotation" (the physical body at work, but the mind and spirit far, far, very far from the workplace, because "everything does not matter"). Attention: it is the beginning of the (almost) unrecoverable loss of commitment of your people.
Don't repeat it. And do you know what you will achieve? Let people believe it was due to a systematic summation of bad impulses on a bad day. And they may forget it, but they will still wait for a new sign of confidence from you. It will make the engagement reborn, once again, or strengthen.
Look, there is a principle that in everything that is done there is a “positive intention”, at least for the one who does it. Let's rescue her. Remember: the first mistake was to assign responsibilities and then not to thank or give feedback; OK, what we rescued is the fact that he wanted to define responsibilities, make the decision-making process easier for them by having someone in charge, etc. That is the positive part. Let's continue with the second error: he launched the project and brought everyone together. The positive? She wants to work on projects, she did not communicate it by email but she brought them together and kept them close, created expectation and surprise. That is the good thing. And so with the six errors. Now that you know that not everything was a mistake, use that springboard to repeat the good and filter the bad,so that each experience with you becomes a learning opportunity for people.
Do it. And do you know what you will achieve? Nothing more and nothing less than showing that you too can be wrong. That it's not perfect (did you know?). Start showing a sublime will to learn from mistakes and you will notice great things around you. Don't become a banner of error, either, but feeling a dose of humor about some aspect of yourself will make you feel more human, less critical, more leader.
Do you think you already know? Perhaps there is nothing very new under the sun and your experience is your main reference vector, but it pays to read successful cases and have some “check list” at hand in case of emergency. There are very good people there managing projects –project leaders– who can be a good influence. If you belong to the Human Resources area, have lunch with someone from Engineering or Production. If you want to break up, go out to lunch with the Marketing Product Manager. Look for them. Model them, silently, if you like. But talk to them and find out how they motivate, encourage, inspire, persuade, and challenge their people to achieve the project's goals. Stop and take note, for example, of what they put in the “references” of the e-mails and how they call meetings. Attention,the foregoing does not mean that it must cease to be authentic and become a mixed breed with no style of its own; What I am saying is that the adult learns in different ways and "modeling" is sometimes undervalued as a mechanism of evolution and personal growth.
Do it. And do you know what you will achieve? Create a more professional work environment, less unstable, more predictable and where you can learn “on-the-job”, just by observing the boss. Remember that according to research (Gallup) people do not leave companies, but their bosses. If you make the effort, you will soon feel like you are beginning to be emulated by a member of your team (and even colleagues!)
You may know all this, you may have explained it to others, you may already be doing it, or you probably feel that "this article is great for… my boss." But don't be tempted to put yourself in a victim position. You have more power to change your little-big environment than you think. Better yet, let yourself be seduced by the practicality of these five points that were thought to turn limitations into opportunities, and opportunities into strengths. Now take ten minutes and reflect. Convert it to your words. Put it into practice tomorrow. Practice. Listen to me, do it now, before I have to… by obligation.
